Members of the Pattaya-based Longge Company crime ring are extradited to South Korea (Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency) South Korean police said Monday they dismantled a Korean crime syndicate based in Pattaya, Thailand, suspected of orchestrating a range of online and phone scams that swindled 21 billion won ($15 million) from 878 victims.
Of the group known as the Longge Company, 25 suspects have been arrested, 21 of whom are in custody in South Korea. Nine others, including the alleged ringleader, who went by the alias “Jaryong,” are detained in Thailand pending extradition.
Police said the fraud went well beyond conventional voice phishing.
The group allegedly ran bogus investment schemes, romance scams targeting online users and a “no-show scam.” In that scheme, perpetrators posed as celebrities, hospitals or large corporations, placing bulk orders with small businesses. They then pressured victims to buy overpriced goods from a fake supplier, demanding advance payment before disappearing.
“We will continue to track these fraud crimes, at home and abroad, without compromise,” the police said in a statement, warning Koreans to be vigilant against the growing number of online scams.
Investigators also added that the syndicate drew its name from Chinese words meaning “dragon” and “elder brother,” a nod to its leader. The “ryong” in Jaryong’s alias also translates to “dragon” in Korean.
The crackdown followed a raid in June on a Pattaya resort, where Thai police arrested 20 suspects.
Working with Thai authorities, South Korean investigators made three trips to Thailand to gather evidence, eventually identifying senior operatives, including Jaryong. Police later raided a second Pattaya office used by the group.
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